the mehallo blog. beta.

‘Just as Sun Tzu’s Art of War is read as a lesson in business strategy rather than fighting in a miliary sense, or Machiavelli’s The Prince is written about government but used as a guide to management, so this book uses the creative processes of good advertising as a metaphor for business practice.’ -inside cover

In It’s Not How Good You Are  . . .  UK-based advertising guru Paul Arden (1940-2008) does a great job reframing how one can approach creativity, their career and life – by not playing by the rules and reinventing convention. [Read more →]

Tags: design, education, thoughts by steve
2 comments  . . .   

GOOD is for people who give a damn – read more below.

but first   . . .
OPEN studio’s Scott Stowell headed up the original design team for GOOD. And I have to write about Scott because he’s been a major influence on my work. Scott = GOOD influence.

I’ve been a fan of Scott’s work for years, ever since I saw a talk he gave at one of the 1990s ATypI conferences. His views/advice on design and teaching – for me – has been invaluable. [Read more →]

Tags: cool finds, design, education, publication design, thoughts by steve
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‘This is a self-initiated project based on the scenario – If the world were a village of 100 people  . . .  I designed a set of 20 posters, which contain most of the information.’ -Toby Ng

The images are telling. View them at Toby Ng’s website.

Statistics need visuals or they’re often perceived as just numbers. For those who don’t think visually, it’s hard to connect numbers to people.

I had a conversation about this recently regarding a group project for a research class I’m taking (hi Luci!). We were analyzing a research study and the right charting system would have really driven some very important points home.

Maybe enough to get the study accepted. Maybe get the right person to implement its findings. Maybe.

Found via Joe Rucker Design News

Tags: cool finds, design, thoughts by steve
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Compassion is not just ‘feeling sorry for someone.’

Today, religion is lost.

The need to be ‘right’ is counterproductive.

Great video.

Tags: cool finds, education, thoughts by steve
5 comments  . . .   

If you’re having problems coping with unemployment in the US (who isn’t?), here’s some visuals. It’s huge. Bigger than you are. Interactive map here.

Change is about rethinking how we do things. I’ve been changing my whole outlook; what I do with my business – my blog is part of it. And following the status quo, doing the same thing over and over and over isn’t working. This map shows it.

Found via FlowingData

Tags: education, thoughts by steve
2 comments  . . .   

We’re still talking about ‘change’ right? It was a huge word last year.

Design thinking can change the world.

But design thinking is much more than ‘aesthetics, image and fashion.’ More than just a means to encourage passive consumption – which for a long time has been the basis for our (now shattered) economy.

Talk (above) by Tim Brown of IDEO. Where design should be headed.

Tags: cool finds, design, thoughts by steve
1 comment  . . .   

Designers do more than just make things look pretty. Designers can play a role in the overall experience of a customer or audience. Often thru small design decisions.

These concepts are shown in this TED video (above) featuring Paul Bennett. And Bauer Bodoni. And a slightly tortured teddy bear.

Tags: cool finds, design, education, thoughts by steve
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‘Check my framing. Apply Rule of Thirds  . . .’

Jeremy Davis takes it apart – before and after studies – as to what happens when one swallows the red pill and actually becomes a designer.

Tags: design, education, thoughts by steve
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Spoof of Monster’s ‘When I Grow Up’ campaign

Found via Jonathan Weast

Tags: cool finds, design, thoughts by steve
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Interesting article over at Web Designer Depot on the differences between art and design.

As I like to reiterate in my classes, ‘Graphic design isn’t an art field, though it can contain elements of art. It’s a communication field.’

Big difference.

Tags: design, education, thoughts by steve
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One thing I know about journalists: They’re slow to change. Once dug in.

Here’s an opinion piece about where newspapers could be headed. It involves The Times of London’s ePaper, which is a nifty idea.

The online market – which, c’mon, papers still haven’t figured out – is tappable. Just have to reframe the conversation. It’ll be interesting to see where all of this goes.

Found via Japan_Blogs on Twitter

Tags: cool finds, publication design, thoughts by steve
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